Five out of ten sunscreens with sun protection factor 50 do not have the high protection they claim, shows a Norwegian study. Several of them are sunscreens for children and are sold in Sweden.
Of the five reviewed sunscreens that did not meet the requirements, three were labeled "baby" or "kids," shows the study conducted by Mattillsynet, Norway's equivalent to the National Food Agency and cosmetics control authority in the country.
A sunscreen labeled with SPF 50+ had in fact a measured protection of 14, which means that the permitted labeling would have been SPF 10. Two other sunscreens labeled with SPF 50 had a protection of less than 20, and should have been labeled with sun factor 15.
"When the sunscreen does not provide the protection promised, consumers may experience a false sense of security and expose themselves to more sun than they otherwise would. The findings are therefore worrying," says Rune Jemtland, senior advisor at Mattilsynet's department for chemical food safety, in a press release.
The five sunscreens were voluntarily withdrawn from the Norwegian market. But they are still available for purchase in Sweden. One of the products is even Swedish-made and sold at pharmacies.
In response to the question of whether they will take a closer look at the rejected sunscreens in the study, the Medical Products Agency responds via email:
"Measures from the Medical Products Agency's side cannot be ruled out at present," writes Emma Västerlund, investigator at the Medical Products Agency.
The Swedish Medical Products Agency conducted its own review of sunscreens in May 2024. However, they did not analyze the content but looked for any deficiencies in labeling and documentation.
In the test, ten sunscreens with sun factor 50 and 50+ were analyzed. Five of them had worse protection than the stated sun protection factor.
They are:
Bioregena Creme Solaire Baby
Suntique I am Aqua Sun Essence
EVY Technology sunscreen mousse
Australian Gold Kids
Wooden Spoon Baby & Family
Source: Mattillsynet
